A high-profile progressive organization, known for its fiery ads against President Donald Trump, may have violated its tax-exempt status by blurring the line between nonprofit and political activities, according to a complaint filed Thursday with the Internal Revenue Service by a conservative watchdog group.
The Patriots Foundation, a Republican-leaning ethics organization based in Iowa, says American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, a nonprofit, is primarily a political organization, in violation of tax laws. The group also raises questions about a $2.7 million investment in a for-profit company co-owned by its founder, David Brock, a Democrat operative and former Clinton associate.
American Bridge has a super-PAC arm that can spend unlimited sums to influence elections. But the primary purpose of nonprofits organized under section 501(c)4 of the tax code like American Bridge cannot be politics. The complaint quotes material given to potential donors to the nonprofit arm in 2017 saying the organization’s mission is “to take on Donald Trump.”
Groups like American Bridge do not have to disclose their donors, which is why they are sometimes called “dark money.”
The complaint also alleges that American Bridge has made improper payments that benefited Brock.
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Make them pay back the money and also pay the taxes owed with interest.
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